Man injured by fireworks speaks out

CYPRESS, Texas (FOX 26) - All over Harris County fireworks stands are busy selling. "You can obviously see the line that we've been having, we're selling at night, it's totally worth it",says Travis Dooley who was working at a stand in Cypress Saturday night.

It's a New Years Eve activity that many partake in, something Winfred Johnson and his family use to do every year. That was until December 31st of 2014.

"The lighter was giving me trouble so I just kept going anyways and I finally got it to stay lit and once I touched the fuse I blacked it and I ended up waking up in the hospital", says Johnson.

"He looked down to see if it was lit and that's just how fast it can change if you're not doing it right and paying attention", says Kirk Simmons, a neighbor who witnessed what happened.

The firework Johnson was holding exploded in his hand. He suffered a concussion, a swollen face, a swollen eye and has since had to have two surgeries.

"I had a fractured nose, I had a fractured wrist, I had a fractured middle finger", says Johnson.

Now Johnson and family are speaking out about what happened.

"You have GOT to make sure that when you light that stuff that you're safe and that you have enough time to get away from it, you can't just keep lighting it and keep lighting it because if you do it could explode at any moment", says his mother Loretta Johnson.

Johnson says that what happened to him hasn't detoured him from lighting off fireworks again, but that now he's even more careful.

"Be safe, run if you have to, as soon as you light it and just have fun", says Johnson.